Home Is Where the Heart Is
by animeobsessed001
Summary: Arthur Kirkland is a newly single father trying to raise his boy Alfred on his own. Francis Bonnefoy has been living the life of a bachelor until he finds he has a son named Matthew and due to circumstances, has to take him in. Both men struggle with raising the boys, but when Alfred and Matthew become best friends and bring their fathers together, could it lead to family? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**[Note from the Author: Hey! I'm back with another Hetalia fic! (Even though I have three D. Gray-Man ones under construction ^^; Don't worry, they've all been worked on over the past few days! This idea just wouldn't stop nagging at me x.x) **

**My last Hetalia fic was a oneshot, but I hope to make this one a multiple chapter one. It is a FACE family fic, so be excited :D I had to write one, seeing as I have read most of the really good ones and wanted to see another one out there. So I figured, why not? Plus my friend has gotten me hooked to Hetalia fanfiction XD**

**So that's about it for now. I hope you read it and like it. I worked pretty hard on it and tried my best :D **

**No, I don't own Hetalia. I am just someone who is a lot like Canada. **

**Happy Readings!**

**~Kumori] **

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

-Arthur-

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair irritably. "At this rate, we're going to lose this place," I mumbled quietly to myself. I stared blankly at the stack of bills in front of me. There was no way I was going to be able to pay all of them off on my bartender's salary. Ever since that bit- er, my ex wife left me I have been struggling to make ends meet. I work late nights as a bartender, but it doesn't do much other than put food on the table and even that was hard.

I growled and slammed my fists against the table, making it shake and piles of bills topple to the ground. That stupid whore had been cheating on me for almost four years now. I was skeptical, but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe that the one woman I have given everything to for seven years would go behind my back. But of course, she was.

Not only did she cheat on me, but she abandoned me. Just up and left with a note on the bedside table one morning, telling me she is with her lover of three and a half years and was taking my money. I checked my bank account online, only to find it true. She left me with fifty bucks, and that was it. After further inspection, I found that she had packed up everything that she thought was valuable. That stupid little...

When the image of her face surrounded by golden locks and piercing blue eyes flashed in my mind, I snapped. "DAMN HER!" I picked up the nearest small item and chucked it across the room. It shattered above the sink, the shards made a clinking noise as they fell into the metal basin. My teeth ground together tightly, I looked down at the table to see only the pepper shaker there. I guess I must have thrown the salt...

"Daddy? Are you okay?"

I spun around to see my boy Alfred peeking from behind the doorway. His hair was the same color as mine and hung loosely in his face with one stubborn strand that would not go down no matter how many times his mother and I tried to comb it down. His eyes are the same as his mother's, except they shine brighter due to his innocence. Like a newly shined sapphire. He was biting his lip, and he looked like he was shaking a bit.

"I'm okay, Alfred," I tried to say convincingly, but instead it came out tiredly. I sighed and retook my seat that I was sitting in a few moments before and held my arms out. "Come here, son."

Alfred nodded and pattered over to me, his arms outstretched as well. I picked him up and set him on my lap. To comfort him, I ran my fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry about that, Alfred. Dad is just having a hard time right now."

"Is it about Mommy not being home yet?" Alfred asked.

I gulped. I really didn't want to tell him that it was about her. Even though she left us behind, I didn't want Alfred to feel the abandonment I was feeling. When she left us two weeks and three days ago, I had told him that his mother had gone on a trip and would be home soon. I didn't know any better excuses at the time, but I knew that my time was running short until he would become suspicious.

"It's kind of about that," I said as steadily as I could manage. "But Dad is just having some money problems right now, so I am stressed. I'm sorry if I scared you."

Alfred looked up at me with those innocent sapphire hues and frowned. "Can I help make money? I saw Feli and Lovi make a lemonade stand before. They said they were rich from it! Maybe I can do it too?"

I smiled proudly at my son. Even though I knew that the Vargas boys were obviously exaggerating about their profits from a refreshment stand, Alfred was throughly convinced that it could help solve our problems and offered to do it. I ruffled his hair and said, "If you want to make a lemonade stand, you can. But you will put the money in your piggy bank so you can spend it when you want, alright?"

"But I want to help you, Daddy."

My heart swelled at the look of complete determination on my son's face. He really was the only good thing in my life. It may not have seemed that way in the beginning of his short life, but he really was.

He was born when I was only sixteen and his mother fifteen, but I had never seen him as a burden. From the day he came home from the hospital, he was my pride and joy. When he turned one, my parents kicked the three of us out of the house. So at the age of seventeen, I dropped out of high school to find jobs to pay for an old apartment, and my ex dropped out to care for Alfred. It took a few years, but I finally got a job as a bartender and she designed websites for small companies. Things were going very well for awhile. It's too bad that it had to end.

"Daddy? Are you okay? You look sleepy," Alfred commented as he poked my cheek with his tiny index finger.

I rubbed my eyes and smiled the best I could. "I'm fine, Alfred. I need to get to work, though. Go get ready to go see Elizabeth."

Alfred beamed. "Okay, Daddy." He jumped off my lap and ran to his room to put on his shoes.

I sighed once more before I stood up and stretched my arms over my head. _God, I'm so exhausted... _As I thought this, I could hear Alfred singing happily to himself from the living room. I peeked through the doorway and watched as Alfred struggled with the shoelaces on his new Superman shoes that he had begged me for. I chuckled lightly to myself when I realized that he was singing the Batman theme song. My son's obsession with heroes was really adorable.

_Well, at least he is happy. _

*.*.*.*

"Elizabeth!" Alfred cried as he launched himself into his babysitter's arms.

Elizabeth beamed and embraced Alfred kindly. "Hello, Alfred. Are you ready to have fun?" she asked.

Alfred nodded furiously. "Can we watch _Spiderman_ for tonight's movie? Lovi picked _Veggie Tales_ yesterday because he likes the tomatoes."

Elizabeth chuckled and kissed his cheek. "We'll see." She set him down and put a hand on his back, gently pushing him inside. "Now go on inside for a minute so I can talk to your dad. Kiku was looking for you."

"Okay. Bye, Daddy!" Alfred said with a small wave as he ran into the house.

I waved back and then turned my attention to Elizabeth. She was a good woman who served as the neighborhood babysitter. Her long brown hair was tied in a bun today, showing her pretty face. She was only a couple years older than I, but sometimes she treated me like I was one of the kids that she would watch.

I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket and searched for a fifty. "I'm sorry I haven't paid you until now, I've just been a bit broke. I'll get the rest to you as soon as I can," I mumbled.

Before I could take the bill from my wallet, Elizabeth placed her hand over mine. "It's okay, Arthur. I understand that you are going through a rough patch and are having money problems. I don't want you to pay me."

"But Elizabeth, you've been watching Alfred every night for almost three weeks and I haven't paid you a dime," I argued.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Arthur, it's quite fine. Keep your money. I don't see watching Alfred as a job. I've come to love that little rag muffin," she said with a grin.

Hesitantly, I nodded and replaced my wallet in my back pocket. "I'll be back at one," I told her.

"I know you will," she answered.

I turned to walk away, but she called me back.

"Oh, Arthur?"

I looked over my shoulder at her. "Yes?"

"When are you going to tell Alfred about his mom? I mean, I know that it isn't any of my business, but you really should tell him soon."

I nodded slowly. "I know. I will. I just haven't figured out how to do it the right way yet." With that said, I walked back to my car and slid into the driver seat. I took one last glance at the house and spied Alfred talking to his Japanese friend through the window. He was grinning ear to ear and flailing his arms excitedly, signs that he was truly happy. His smiling face was all I needed to see to lift my spirits, even if only slightly. I turned the key into the ignition, making the car roar to life and drove off to a long night of work.

-Francis-

I poured another glass of wine into the glass held daintily by the striking brunette on my couch. Her black sequined dress hung low on her chest, almost revealing her round breasts. I licked my lips in anticipations. I would definitely make use of those later.

"Mm, Francis you sure know how to treat a lady," she said with a smile, her drunk blush quite obvious.

"Ah, I am French, so it comes naturally, oui?" I said with a seductive smile.

She blushed deeper and took a sip of her wine. I could tell that she knew what was coming. She was practically shivering with arousal. It was time to make my move.

I placed the wine bottle on the coffee table next to the glowing candles and sat next to her. I trailed my fingers from one of her wrists to the other, putting my arm over her shoulder in the process. She shuddered pleasantly, her blush even darker. I used my other hand to hold her chin and tilt her face up to me. "Vous avez l'air très beau, l'amour," I said, my lips hardly a hair from hers.

Just as she was leaning up to close the small distance between us, my doorbell rang. "Merde," I grumbled. "Just a moment, l'amour," I said as I stood up and walked to the door.

I paused at the door and looked at the mirror I had placed on the wall next to it. My hair was disheaveled and my white button up shirt was halfway untucked from my pants and the first three buttons were undone, showing my chest. I contemplated fixing my appearance, but decided not to. Maybe if the visitor sees my curent apparel, they will get the point and go away. Finally, I opened the door, not knowing what to expect. I couldn't help but blink like an idiot when I saw who it was.

It was a man in a crisp black suit with a ironed red tie. He was about my height, but looked less built than I. He wore wire rimmed glasses and his brown hair was combed back. "Is this the residence of Mr. Francis Bonnefoy?" he asked.

"Oui, that is me. What can I do for you, monsieur?" I asked.

"Sir, I am here to discuss the future of your son."

I blinked again. "Pardon?" I asked in confusion. "I can assure you that I do not have a son."

"Actually, you do Mr. Bonnefoy. He is right here." He motioned to a small boy I hadn't even noticed before.

The boy looked like he was only five or six. His hair looked a lot like my own, only a bit shorter and also had a single curl that stuck out. He hugged a big overstuffed bear to his chest, also conceling most of his face with it. I could see that the boy had the most beautiful violet irsises I have ever seen. He was shivering nervously and I could hear his teeth chattering.

I continued to stare at the boy in awe until the man's words finally sunk in. "Wait a moment, he is not my son. I do not have any children," I insisted.

"Actually, he is. His name is Matthew Williams. His mother has just passed away from cancer and has asked that he be taken to you, rather than a foster home."

"Francis, you have a son?"

I spun around to face my date. Although she still looked drunk, she looked angry now. "I thought you said that you were single and have never been married?" she demanded.

"But I haven't," I tried to explain. "I have never seen this child before."

"Hmph. Jerk." With that, she stomped past me and started down the hallway of my apartment. I would be lying if I said I didn't watch her ass sway from side to side as se sauntered off. I suppose if there is one good thing about tonight, it would be watching that wonderful piece of ass until it turned the corner. Mm.

"Anyway, sir. We need to discuss your son's future," the social worker continued.

I turned my attention to the poor boy who was still shaking. He looked scared out of his mind. And the social worker said that his mom died, so he is probably dealing with a great deal of grief right now. The last thing the kid needs is to be abandonded by his father.

"I guess I'll take him. But is there some sort of test we can do to check if he is really mine?" I asked. After all, I would hate to take him in only to find out that he isn't my child.

"Of course. We can do a DNA anaylsis if you would like."

"That would be good," I agreed.

"Well, if you are going to take in Matthew, I am going to need you to sign a few papers."

I nodded and opened the door wider. "Come on in, then. We can do that inside."

The social worker nodded his thanks and stepped inside. I almost closed the door, when I realized that the boy was still standing in the hallway. "Won't you come in, fils?" I asked him.

He nodded very slowly and walked in. As he walked, I could see that he looked exauhsted. The poor kid. I really hoped that I could help him.

*.*.*.*

"Well, that seems to be it," the social worker said as he packed up the papers back into his breifcase. "We will call you to inform you about the DNA test and when you can take it, and we will have someone drop by here within the next couple weeks to make sure that you are a fit parent. It is nothing personal, it is just standard protocol."

"Oui, that is understandable." It took about two hours to fill out all the papers and the boy fell asleep on the couch. He was snoring softly, hugging his bear tightly to his chest. He had passed out less than five minutes into the meeting. Poor kid really was tired.

The social worker stood up and I did as well. He held out his hand. "It was good to meet you, Mr. Bonnefoy. I hope that you take good care of little Matthew."

"I will try my very best," I promised as I took his hand and shook it. With a nod, we released hands and I led him back to the front door.

Before he walked out, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small business card. "If you need anything or have any questions, feel free to call."

I nodded and placed the card in my back pocket. "Of course."

"Good. Now good night, Mr. Bonnefoy."

"Bonne nuit." I closed the door behind him and sighed. I can't believe this just happened. One minute I am about to sex it up with some pretty girl I met at the club down the street, and now I am a single father with a child whose mother just died of cancer. _Speaking of the boy, I should go check on him. _

I walked back into the living room to see that Matthew hadn't moved an inch from where he was when I left. I have to say, he really is an adorable child. As I watched him sleep, I realized that I had no where for him to sleep. I was not about to let him sleep on the couch like a guest.

Very carefully, I slid my arms under Matthew's sleeping figure and hefted him up. He was extremely light and easy to carry. Upon further inspection, I saw that he was very skinny. I would have to fix that. I would make him breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday and make sure that he is well fed.

When I realized what I was thinking, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. _I've only had the boy for a few hours and I am already fretting like a mother hen. _I shook my head as I walked into my room and laid Matthew down on my bed. I crossed my room to my closet and searched through my clothes for something suitable to sleep in. On any normal occasion, I woud sleep in the nude, but I didn't think that having Matthew wake up in bed with his naked father would be very good.

After searching for a few minutes, I found a pair of pajama bottoms I hadn't worn in years. I slipped them on and carefully slid into bed. I laid as far away from Matthew as possible, not knowing if he had any personal space problems. He seemed like the nervous type. I took one last look at Matthew before I pulled the comforter up to his chin then faced away and started to work on falling asleep.

_What a day._

* * *

**[Note from the Author: Sooo, what'cha think? :D This chapter was more of an introduction than anything. To show Arthur and Alfred's life and how Francis got Matthew. If all goes the way I have planned, I hope to have every chapter have two POV's, switching from adults to kids. So hopefully next chapter will be seen from Alfred and Matthew's eyes :D**

**As for updating this, I don't know when I will get to it. I want to update my other stories first, since they have been around longer. **

**Please leave me a review and tell me how I did. I'm very nervous to write this and some feedback would definitely be most welcome ^^;**

**Thanks again for reading!**

**Until Next Time!**

**~Kumori] **


	2. Chapter 2

**[Note from the Author: Hello, loves :D **

**Here it is! Chapter Two :D I'm glad so many people liked the last chapter. It made me smile. Seriously.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys! They all made me feel accomplished. Thanks again!**

**Well, here is the next chapter with POV's from Alfred and Matthew :D Enjoy~**

**Happy Readings!**

**~Kumori]**

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

-Alfred-

"DAMN HER!" _CRASH! _

I dropped my Aquaman action figure and ran into the kitchen. I looked inside and saw Daddy angry. There was broken glass and salt all around the sink. He was whispering angrily to himself. "Daddy? Are you okay?" I asked.

He looked up at me, his face turned really sad. "I'm okay, Alfred," he said. He sounded really upset. I wondered if it was about Mommy. She left for a trip a few days ago and hasn't come back yet. I missed Mommy a lot, but I bet Daddy missed her more. I had seen him in his room sitting on his bed with his head in his hands a couple times. The day she left, Daddy had big red and puffy eyes. He didn't cry, though. Not that I saw. I wanted to ask where it is that Mommy went, but I didn't want to make Daddy more upset than he already was.

Daddy sat down in his chair and sighed. He held out his arms for me and said, "Come here, son."

I ran over to his with my arms out and hugged him tightly. He lifted me onto his lap and started to comb his fingers through my hair. It was something that Mommy and Daddy have done for me since I was a baby. It always made me feel really good and safe.

"I'm sorry about that, Alfred. Dad is just having a hard time right now," he said softly.

"Is it about Mommy not being home yet?" I asked.

Once again, Daddy looked at me sadly. His lips twitched a little on one side and he blinked a lot of times. Then he said, "It's kind of about that. But Dad is just having some money problems right now so I am stressed. I'm sorry if I scared you."

I looked at the floor and saw lots of papers everywhere. There was a bunch of numbers on them and the little dollar sign things that Mommy showed me. I wished that Mommy was home so Daddy wouldn't be stressed. I wished that I could help. That's when I got an idea.

I looked up at Daddy. "Can I help make money? I saw Feli and Lovi make a lemonade stand before. They said they were rich from it! Maybe I can do it too?" Two of my bestest friends in the whole wide world said that their lemonade stand had made them rich enough to buy five candy bars! That's really rich! I wanted to make that much so I could help Daddy. Then he won't be stressed anymore! Then Mommy will come home and we can all be happy again.

Daddy smiled at me again. Then he messed my hair up and said, "If you want to make a lemonade stand, you can. But you will put the money in your piggy bank so you can spend it when you want, alright?"

No. I didn't want to put it in my piggy bank. I wanted Daddy to take it so he wouldn't be stressed anymore. If I made Daddy not stressed, then Mommy would be happy. She yelled at Daddy for being so stressed before. I didn't want it to happen again. I wanted everyone happy again. I missed going to the park and having pirate adventures in the trees while Mommy and Daddy watched me as they sat on the bench. Or when Mommy would make dinner and Daddy would feed me and sometimes get food on my nose (he always said he didn't mean it, but I think he did).

I looked closely at Daddy. His eyes looked a little red again. He was smiling, but it didn't look like his normal smile. It's because he wasn't happy. I just wanted to see Daddy happy again. I wanted Mommy to come back again. I just wanted everyone to smile and laugh and be a family and be home.

"But I want to help you, Daddy," I said.

Daddy gave me another small smile. When he didn't say anything, I thought he fell asleep with his eyes open. Kiku had said that it was possible. Daddy did look tired, so he just might have.

"Daddy, are you okay? You look sleepy," I said. I poked his cheek to make sure that he wasn't asleep.

Daddy shook his head a little bit. "I'm fine, Alfred. I need to get to work, though. Go get ready to go see Elizabeth," he said.

I smiled really big. I like my babysitter. She was so nice. Other than Mommy and Daddy and all my friends, she is my favoritist person in the whole entire universe! Elizabeth was always smiling. I have never seen her upset once. Not even when Lovi yelled at Ludwig and called him a mean word that Daddy says I am never allowed to say. Instead of yelling at him or spanking him, she shook her head and told him to apologize. And when Ivan scared Feli and made him hide under the kitchen sink, she made Ivan promise to stop and spent two episodes of _Jake and the Neverland Pirates _trying to make him come out. She never lost her temper. Not once. That's why I liked Elizabeth. Other than Mommy, she was the nicest lady alive.

I got down from Daddy's lap and ran into my room as fast as I could. I grabbed my new Superman shoes and ran back into the living room. I sat in Daddy's favorite chair and started putting my shoes on. They had laces, so they were kinda hard. I tried to remember how Mommy showed me. First make two bunny ears, then do the loop-dee-loop, then repeat. I started to hum the Batman song as I tied my shoes.

When I was done, I stood up and ran back into the kitchen. Daddy was sweeping up the glass and salt that was on the floor. "I'm ready!" I announced.

"Good. Go wait by the front door for me," Daddy said as he swept the glass into the dustpan.

"Okay, Daddy." I ran out of the kitchen and through the living room and stood by the door just like Daddy told me to. I bounced as I waited. I was too excited to stand still. Mommy said it's a bad habit, but I couldn't help it.

Finally, Daddy walked up to the front door. "Ready to go, son?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah! Let's go see Elizabeth!"

*.*.*.*

"Elizabeth!" I ran over to her and gave her the biggest hug I could.

"Hello, Alfred. Are you ready to have fun?" she asked.

I nodded and said, "Can we watch _Spiderman_ for tonight's movie? Lovi picked _Veggie Tales_ yesterday because he likes the tomatoes."

Elizabeth chuckled and kissed my cheek like Mommy does. "We'll see. Now go on inside for a minute so I can talk to your dad. Kiku was looking for you."

"Okay. Bye, Daddy!" I waved to Daddy and ran inside to find Kiku. I went into the living room and looked all around. Some of the other kids were here today, so I had to keep my eyes open for Kiku.

"Hey, stupid," Lovi said in his usual mean Italian accent.

"Hiya, Lovi," I said back. "Wha'cha doin'?"

"Beating my stupid little brother at Candyland." As he said this, he moved his red gingerbread man up to the next green square.

"Ve~ This game is too haaaard~" Feli whined.

"Only if you are stupid," Lovi grumbled.

I watched Feli lose for another minute until I saw Kiku in the corner of my eye. He was playing with his favorite camera toy. "Kikuuu~!" I called and ran over to him.

Kiku looked up at me and nodded his head. "Hello, Alfred-san."

I grinned. "So what'cha need? Elizabeth said that you were looking for me."

"Hai. I got you a present." He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, then held it out to me. "My big brother Yao gave it to me, but I knew you would like it better."

I took the present. It was a card. Kiku really liked his card games. Especially Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. He tried to teach me, but there were so many rules! They were hard to remember. I flipped the card over and gasped. It was a Superman card! It was shiny and everything.

"Kiku, this is so cool! Thanks so much!" I yelled.

Kiku smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

I flapped my arms happily before I jumped on Kiku, making both of us fall on the floor. "You're so awesome, Kiku!"

Kiku laughed a little bit. "I know. Do you want to play Superheroes outside again?"

"Yeah!" I jumped up and yanked Kiku to his feet. "I call Superman!"

"I'll be Spiderman," Kiku said.

"Yay!" I dragged Kiku outside so we could play. Just like we do everyday.

*.*.*.*

"Bye, Kiku! Bye, Yao!" I waved as my friend and his big brother left. It was ten at night, and I was the only one left in Elizabeth's house. This happened every time Daddy went to work. He worked really late, so I stayed with Elizabeth until he came back.

"Alfred, it's time to lay down," Elizabeth told me.

"Aw, but I'm not sleepy. Besides, I'm a hero! Heroes don't need sleep!" I said, jumping up and down.

Elizabeth smiled. "Oh, but they do. Superman sleeps. How can he save Louis Lane if he's tired?"

"I guess that's true."

"Exactly, now let's get you laid down, okay?"

"Okay, Elizabeth. But can I watch _Spiderman _again?"

"Of course, Alfred." She took my hand and walked me to the couch. She covered me up and fluffed my pillow just the way I like it. I snuggled into the pillow and hugged the blanket tightly as Elizabeth stared the movie. After she hit play, she walked over to me and kissed me on the forehead. "Good night, Alfred."

"Elizabeth?" I asked.

"Yes, Alfred?"

"Will you be my Louis Lane?" Every hero needs someone to save. Elizabeth was kind. I wanted to be her hero since she was so nice to me.

"Aw, that's so sweet, Alfred. But I already have my hero, my husband. You should look for someone your age to be your Louis Lane."

I frowned. "But Kiku is already Spiderman, Lovi is the Green Lantern, and Feli is the Flash."

"Maybe you just haven't met your Louis Lane yet. Someday, there will be someone who needs a hero. And I know that you will be the one to take the job. Right?"

"Of course!"

Elizabeth ran her fingers through my hair and kissed my forehead again. "Good. Now go to sleep, okay?"

I yawned and nodded. "Okay, Elizabeth. Good night."

She smiled one more time and walked into her bedroom. I watched _Spiderman_ until Peter got bit by the scary spider, then I fell asleep.

-Matthew-

I was so scared. Everything around me kept changing. I wished that Mama was here, but I knew that she couldn't be. She was with Jesus now. Today was her funeral.

She laid in a big shiny, silver box. She looked so pretty. She had a brown wig that was brushed nicely. It looked like her hair before she had to shave it off. And she wore a white dress. All around her were white flowers. She looked like she was sleeping on a bed of flowers.

When it was my turn to walk up the pews to the front of the church to see her, I took a purple rose with me. Once I was at her side, I lifted her hands off her chest and put the flower under them. The flower was the same color as her eyes. Mine too. I got them from Mama.

I looked at her again. She looked just like the princesses from the story books she would read me. She didn't look sick anymore. Mama always said that you have to look your very best when you meet Jesus, and I knew that our Father would think she looked beautiful. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek, careful to not get any tears on her. "Bonne nuit, Mama," I said. "Faites de beaux rêves."

After that, Roderich, the man who has watched me since Mama passed, put a hand on my shoulder and led me back to our seats. I picked up my bear Kuma and stuffed my face into his fur. Kuma was my best friend. Mama gave him to me the day I was born. Kuma was always there for me. I lifted my head and dried my tears on the sleeve of my suit.

"It's okay," Kuma told me. "She lives with Jesus now. He will take care of her."

I pressed my face into the soft fur and started crying again. "But I want her to live with me," I said. "I w-want my Mama..."

I felt a hand on my shoulder again. I looked up and saw Roderich smiling sadly at me. He was a nice man. His hair was combed back except for one little bit, and he wore thin glasses that made him look really smart. Roderich was the one who took care of me for two days. He told me that it was his job until he found me a new home.

"It'll be okay, Matthew," he said.

I shook my head, but I didn't say anything. I only talk to Mama and Kuma. No one else.

"Just remember that she is in a better place now," Roderich told me.

I sniffed and wiped my eyes on Kuma's head. I knew that Mama was in a better place, but I still wanted her here with me. I wished that it could be like before Mama got sick. When she would take me to the park everyday, or read me and Kuma bedtime stories and tuck us in, or had tea parties with us, or when she would take us to church every Sunday and then we would get ice cream at Dairy Queen after.

I just wanted my Mama back.

*.*.*.*

"Matthew, it's time to go," Roderich said gently.

I ignored him. I kept staring at Mama's grave. Annabelle Rose Williams – Une mère aimante. The last part was in French, Mama's native language. I knew that she would like that. I couldn't read much, but the pastor read it to me and I could understand. It meant 'A loving mother'.

"Matthew," Roderich said again. "It's time to go. I'm going to take you home."

I looked up at him. What did he mean by home? I don't have a home anymore. Not without Mama.

Roderich stepped closer to me and knelt down on one knee, so he was as tall as me. "Remember when they were lowering your mother into the ground and I had to take a phone call?"

I nodded.

"Well, that was my boss. He told me that we found your father."

My father? Mama always said that he never knew that I was alive. How did they find him if he doesn't know who I am? I almost asked, but then I remembered that Roderich was not Mama or Kuma. I couldn't talk to him.

"Before your mother passed, she told us that your father's name was Francis Bonnefoy. She said that she would want you to live with him when she wasn't around anymore. We looked him up and found out that he doesn't live that far from here. So why don't we go get you changed, get something to eat, and then we can go meet him?"

I was so scared. I've never met my father. Mama said that he was a nice, smart man, but I was still really scared. What if he really wasn't nice? What if he hated me? I didn't want to meet him. I just wanted to stay with my Mama. I cried into Kuma's head again.

Roderich rubbed my back. "I know that this is a scary thing. But we're going to get through it, okay?" He waited for me to say something, and when I didn't he asked, "Are you ready?"

I shook my head. I turned back to Mama's grave. The stone with her name on it was really shiny. I walked up to it and traced one of my fingers along the French part. Then her name. I started crying again, but I kept tracing. After my finger went along everything, including the roses all along the sides and the bottom, I kissed the top of the stone. "Je t'aime, Mama. Au revoir."

I turned back to Roderich and nodded. He nodded back and put his hand on my shoulder again.

"Let's go."

*.*.*.*

"Here we are, Matthew," Roderich said. We were standing outside an apartment with the number thirty eight on the door. This building was really big. I was scared. I hugged Kuma really tight.

"Mattie, you're shaking," Kuma said. "Don't be scared. If he's a scary guy, I'll eat his face."

"M-Merci," I whispered to Kuma.

"Do you want to do the honors, Matthew?" Roderich asked.

I nodded slowly and stepped towards the front door. My head hurt from crying so much, and my body was really heavy. My heart was beating super fast and loud. Like Kuma said, I was shaking. I raised my hand up and rang the doorbell.

_Ding-dong. _

I quickly ran behind Roderich to hide. It felt like forever had passed when the door finally opened. When I saw who opened the door, I held Kuma up to hide more.

The man who opened the door looked kinda angry. He had blonde wavy hair like mine. His eyes were blue, and he had scruffles on his chin. He looked like he just got out of bed because his clothes were a big mess. His eyes widened when he saw Roderich.

"Is this the residence of Mr. Francis Bonnefoy?" Roderich asked.

"Oui, that is me. What can I do for you, monsieur?"

I peeked over Kuma's head when I heard my father speak French. He knew Mama's language.

"Sir, I am here to discuss the future of your son," Roderich explained.

My father looked confused. Mama was right. He really didn't know about me. "Pardon? I can assure you that I do not have a son."

"Actually, you do Mr. Bonnefoy. He is right here," Roderich said as he pointed at me.

When my father looked at me, I raised Kuma higher, but not enough to cover my eyes. I wanted to see him. I was still shaking as he looked at me, trying to figure out who I was.

"Wait a moment, he is not my son. I do not have any children," he said.

"Actually, he is. His name is Matthew Williams. His mother has just passed away from cancer and has asked that he be taken to you, rather than a foster home," Roderich told him.

Suddenly, a woman voice asked, "Francis, you have a son? I thought you said that you were single and have never been married?"

"But I haven't. I have never seen this child before," Francis tried to tell her.

"Hmph. Jerk." Then a lady with a shiny black dress stomped out of my father's house and down the hall. My father had the wierdest expression as he watched her leave. He even licked his lips. I was so confused. Did he want to eat her? What if he eats people? I started to shake more.

"Anyway, sir. We need to discuss your son's future," Roderich said.

My father turned back to me, then Roderich. After a moment, he said, "I guess I'll take him. But is there some sort of test we can do to check if he is really mine?"

"Of course. We can do a DNA analysis if you would like."

What is DNA? Does it hurt? Why is everything so scary?

"That would be good," my father said.

"Well, if you are going to take in Matthew, I am going to need you to sign a few papers," Roderich said and held up his square bag.

"Come on in, then. We can do that inside," my father said as he opened the door more. Roderick walked in, and my father almost closed the door, but then he looked at me. "Won't you come in, fils?"

I didn't want to go in. I didn't want to live with him. I wanted to live with my Mama. I wanted Mama to be here with me again and hug me, and tell me that everything was okay. I just wanted my Mama...

But Mama would want me to be strong. She used to tell me everyday that she was in the hospital that I had to be strong for both of us. That and she loved me, and no matter what, she would always be with me.

I nodded and walked past my father into his house. It smelled like candles and was really dark. I sat down on the couch next to Roderich. My father sat in the other couch across from us. The two adults started talking about things that made my head spin. I was so tired. I laid down and hugged Kuma really close to me. It didn't take long for me to close my eyes and fall asleep.

* * *

**[Note from the Author: Damn. Okay. Gimme a sec. *wipes eyes* I don't know why, but writing this chapter made me tear up. Probably doesn't help that I'm listening to depressing music and hardly slept last night ^^;**

**I kind of like writing in the POV of a child. It helps that I have two little ones Matthew and Alfred's age in my house :D **

**Just so you know, no, Kuma cannot talk. I just thought that it would be interesting for Matthew to use his imagination. It's cute when kids do that~**

**So, this was just another introduction chapter, just seen through the eyes of the little ones. The real story will start next chapter :3**

**That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed ^^  
Until Next Time!  
~Kumori**

**P.S. Translations! **

"**Bonne nuite, Mama. ****Faites de beaux rêves.****" - Goodnight, Mama. Sweet dreams. **

"**Je t'aime, Mama. Au revoir." - I love you, Mama. Goodbye. **

"**M-Merci..." - Th-thank you...**

**I feel so accomplished. I actually remembered most of these phrases on my own, without Google Translate :D Yay.] **


	3. Chapter 3

**[Note from the Author: Hey everyone. Here's chapter three~! **

**Before I get on with the chapter, I want to respond to some reviews I got. They had questions/ideas that got me thinking. Feel free to skip this part.**

Emo Dreamer**: Yes, you bring up a good point. In all honesty, I don't know much about Cancer, so I didn't think about chemotherapy. I went back and made it a wig. Thank you for pointing that out. **

Bakura From School**: Yeah, I know that Francis wouldn't have just suddenly been surprised with Matthew at his door like that. I got the idea from the movie **_**Big Daddy **_**with Adam Sandler. (I actually was watching that movie as I wrote that scene.) I guess I thought the idea of Francis suddenly having a kid on his door and finding out that he was a father all out of the blue would just be fun to write.**

Guest**: Someone said that the second chapter was a bit repetitive in Alfred's part, because it was just what happened with Arthur all over again. The reason I did that was to point out that Alfred sees that Arthur is stressed and just wants it to stop, and that he is suspicious about his mother's whereabouts. I may do that a few other times in this fic.**

**That's it for now. But if anyone sees anything that I should fix or seemed a little iffy like Matthew's Mama having hair at the funeral or Francis being randomly surprised with Matthew, let me know and I'll fix it or explain it.**

**Thanks everyone else for the reviews :3 I hope you like this chapter. (Sorry for the length of this note.) **

**Hetalia is most definitely not mine. Although, I do have a teddy bear named Kumajiro :D **

**Happy Readings! **

**~Kumori]**

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

-Arthur-

"Arthur, you go ahead and head out, I'll close up," my boss said.

"Oh, thanks. Good night," I said as I placed the last shot glass back on the shelf. Work hadn't been too hard tonight. Thankfully, there were no fights or need to call security. There was horrible karaoke, but that was just a part of the job that I had gotten used to. I looked at the clock and sighed. It was a little past twelve thirty. I needed to hurry if I wanted to get Alfred on time. I always felt bad having Elizabeth watching Alfred for so long, so I always try to pick him up on time, if not early. Especially now that she was refusing to let me pay her.

I looked over my station one final time before I deemed it clean and walked out of the bar. It was raining outside, so I ran to my car, trying to not get too wet. Damn April showers. I opened the door and slid in quickly, getting free from the precipitation. I sighed and pulled my phone out from my coat pocket, checking my text messages for the millionth time. No new messages. Dammit. Why couldn't she leave me some sort of message? Something – anything. I needed to hear from her. I needed to know if she really had no intention of coming home. I tried calling her cell phone, but her number was disconnected. Probably got a new one to avoid me.

With a sigh, I replaced my phone and turned the car on. I kept the radio off as I slowly pulled out of the parking lot. It was a fairly short distance to Elizabeth's house, so I knew that I would be there on time.

I watched all the lights of the city go by as I drove along the street. This used to be one of the highlights of my day. Driving home from a long night of work to go home, find my boy sleeping soundly in his bed and my lovely wife waiting up for me in bed. She would hug me, give me a kiss and tell me welcome home...

I shook my head. "No, she's gone, Arthur," I told myself. "She's gone and she isn't coming back." My throat closed up as I spoke. _That's right. She isn't coming back. She has left us. She left me. And Alfred... _

"God, how do I tell him?" I wondered aloud. That was a real problem. How was I going to tell Alfred about his mother. Even Elizabeth had thought that it needed to be done. She had seen that it has been almost three weeks, and it was time to tell the boy.

I pulled off of the main road into Elizabeth's street, and straight into her driveway. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. At that moment, I decided that tomorrow I was going to tell Alfred about his mother. He had every right to know that she has decided to leave us behind. The only problem was that I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want him to feel bad about this. No matter how hard I will try to tell him, he will probably be hurt by this.

I sighed once more and climbed out of my car, keeping the key in. I approached Elizabeth's door and knocked lightly. The door opened to reveal Elizabeth's smiling face.

"You're on time as always," she said kindly. "One o'clock on the dot."

I chuckled. "I try. So how was Alfred today?"

"Oh, he was wonderful. He played his usual superhero game with his friends, and watched _Spiderman _three times."

I smiled. "That's my boy," I said. "But he behaved well?"

"Yes, just like he always does," Elizabeth assured me. She opened the door wider so I could step in. "The little rag muffin is on the couch sleeping like a rock."

"Yeah, that's my Alfred," I said proudly as I walked in and approached the couch. Like Elizabeth had said, Alfred was curled into the couch, snoring gently. I walked over to him and ran my fingers through his hair lovingly. When he stirred and blinked his eyes open sleepily, I smiled. "Hello, son," I said quietly.

Alfred yawned and rubbed his eyes with his little fists. "Hi, Daddy," he said. "Are we going home?" he asked tiredly.

"Mhm. Are you ready?"

Alfred nodded and held his arms out to me. I picked him up, grunting a little under his weight. He was becoming such a big boy. He laid his head on my shoulder and I had one arm under him to keep him from falling. He hugged my neck tightly and I pet his hair with my free hand.

"Can I sleep with you tonight, Daddy?" Alfred asked sleepily.

"Sure, Alfred. When we get home you can sleep with me in my bed, okay?"

"Okay."

"You are so good with him," Elizabeth commented behind me.

I faced her and smiled. "Thank you. I try."

"Well, it shows," Elizabeth complimented.

"Thank you again for watching Alfred," I said as I walked to the door.

"For the last time, Arthur, it was no trouble at all," she said with a light chuckle.

"Sorry," I mumbled. I didn't want her to think that I was annoying.

"You're fine, Arthur. You're just too polite. You should loosen up a bit."

I nodded a bit. My ex told me the same thing on multiple occasions... "I know. I'm trying."

Elizabeth smiled. "I know, Arthur. Drive safe, okay?"

"Of course," I said. "Good night, Elizabeth."

"Night, 'lizabeth," Alfred said.

"Good night, you two."

With that, I walked out of Elizabeth's house out to my car. I opened the back door and slipped Alfred into his booster and buckled him up. He was almost asleep, but every time his eyes would close for a fraction of a second, he would jerk himself awake.

"Alfred, you can go to sleep," I said as I slid into the driver's seat and backed out of Elizabeth's driveway.

"But I w-wanna… stay up with you, D-Daddy," he mumbled sleepily. "And heroes d-don't sleep..."

I watched Alfred through my rear view mirror as I drove. The poor boy kept nodding off, but would force himself awake. It was adorable. I turned on the radio, keeping the volume quiet. Soft country music – my ex's and Alfred's favorite – filled the car. I tried to not pay attention to the music. With my luck, a depressing song about heartbreak would be playing.

Alfred listened to the music, and even hummed along with the song. Before the tune was over, his head was tilted to the side, and he was asleep. I looked back in the mirror again and couldn't help but smile at the sight of my little boy. It feels like just yesterday he was a little baby, no more than a week old and would sleep all the time. His face hasn't changed much since then. He still had those chubby little cheeks and peaceful look when he slept.

I shook my head to clear it of the reminiscent thoughts. "Driving, Arthur," I reminded myself quietly. Even with my self reminder, I couldn't help but keep looking back at my son, a smile tugging at my lips every time.

The ride home wasn't painfully long. Only about fifteen minutes maximum. I pulled into the parking lot of our apartment building and shut off the car. After that I climbed out and unbuckled Alfred from his booster. Holding his sleeping body close, I closed the car door, locked it, and walked into our building.

Once in our apartment, I locked the door behind me and tossed my keys on the kitchen table. It was almost one thirty. Still holding Alfred, I walked into my room and made my way over to my dresser. I pulled out two T-shirts, one for me and one for my boy. I sat on my bed and put Alfred on my lap. Very carefully, I slid off Alfred's shirt and his pants. I managed to put him in my shirt without waking him up. He looked so adorable in my shirt. It reminded me of how small he really was.

I laid Alfred on my ex's side of the bed and began to undress myself. I put on my shirt and climbed into the bed next to Alfred. I brought the comforter up so it was up to his chin and stroked his hair once more. I wrapped my arm around him and hugged him close, and he snuggled into me unconsciously. I kissed Alfred's head lightly. "Good night, Alfred," I said before I fell asleep listening to the sound of my son's light snores.

*.*.*.*

"Daddy! Daddy! It's time to get up! It's time to get up!"

I groaned in pain as I felt a familiar body slam onto me. I opened one eye to see Alfred beaming down at me.

"Good morning, Daddy! It's time to get up!" he said happily.

I looked over at the clock on my bedside table. Nine am. No way in hell.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes. "Alfred, Daddy isn't ready to be awake yet," I mumbled. "Can't you just go back to sleep for a little bit?"

Alfred frowned. "But, Daddy~" he whined. "I'm not sleepy~"

I groaned again. I knew that once Alfred was awake there was no way to get him to go back to sleep. His mother and I have tried for years. Nothing works. With a sigh, I sat up and stretched my arms over my head, my back popping in the process.

"Yay! Daddy's up!" Alfred cheered.

I chuckled at my son's exuberance. "Yes, yes, Daddy is awake. Now, do you want to go pick what cereal you want?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes once more.

"Yeah! Be right back!" he said enthusiastically before leaping off the bed and bounding into the kitchen.

I chuckled a bit and scratched my head before I threw my legs to the side of the bed. I stretched once more and then stood up, walking to my dresser and throwing on some jeans and the first shirt I laid my hand on. Then I followed my son into the kitchen. When I reached the kitchen, Alfred had a chair propped up against the refrigerator and was on top of it standing on his tiptoes, trying to reach the cereal up there.

I walked over and plucked his favorite from the fridge with a smile. Alfred pouted at me.

"I was going to get it, Daddy," he whined.

I ruffled his hair. "You're still too short, m'boy."

Alfred puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms. "One day I'm going to be taller than you, Daddy. Then you will need my help to get the cereal from the fridge."

I laughed and used my free arm to push the chair Alfred was on back to the kitchen table. "We'll see, but we still have quite some time until that happens." I crossed the kitchen to the cabinets and took a bowl off the bottom shelf, then grabbed the milk from the fridge and went back to the table. Alfred was already holding his spoon, smiling in anticipation of his morning delight. I poured him a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and added milk, then put the ingredients away.

As Alfred ate happily, I kissed the top of his head. "I'm going to check the mail, okay?" I told him.

"Mmffkay, Dmmmfy," he responded with cheeks full of cereal and milk dribbling down his chin.

I swiped the milk with his chin with my thumb, grabbed my keys off the table, and walked out of the apartment. We lived on the second floor, so I only had to go down one flight of stairs to the mail area. I pulled out my keys once I got to my mail slot. I opened it up and sighed. Bills, bills, and more bills. Nothing new.

That's when something interesting caught my eye. A letter from court? What about? I opened the envelope hastily, practically ripping it in the process. My eyes scanned the paper and I almost dropped the stack of mail.

They were divorce papers.

My hands shook and my body trembled. There's no way I'm reading these right. These can't be right. They have to be a mistake! These couldn't be for me! But to my dismay, at the bottom was my ex's signature. At the top it said I have to sign and send the paper back in a week, and then wait a little longer for it to take effect.

But... I don't want them to take effect...

Slowly and numbly, I made my way back up the stairs and into my apartment. Alfred was still sitting at the table, pushing the last of his cereal around with his spoon, making the individual pieces talk. At any other time, I would see it as really adorable.

When Alfred noticed my presence, he flashed me his adorable smile. "Did you get some letters, Daddy?" he asked.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I needed to tell him. Especially now that my ex is making it official by going to court and requesting a divorce.

"Daddy?"

Yeah. It was time to tell him. I sat at the table across from him and took a deep breath. With a very heavy heart, knowing that what I was about to say was going to completely crush my son and send his entire world crumbling around him, I spoke softly.

"Alfred, son. There's something that Daddy needs to talk to you about..."

-Francis-

When I woke up I reached my hand out to pull whatever lovely woman I had brought with me to bed last night, only to feel something fuzzy. _Oh dear, I didn't bring another hairy man to bed with me again, did I? I really need to lay off the tequila... _I was ready for the worst when I opened my eyes. What I found in front of me was nothing like I thought it was.

A big, fluffy stuffed animal was staring back at me.

I jumped back and almost fell off my bed. What the he–? That's when I saw the small, blonde boy curled up next to the bear, hugging it tightly.

_Ah, that's right. This isn't just any boy. This is my son. Er, what was his name again? Max? Mark? Whatever, I'll figure it out later. _ As I thought this, I realized that the boy was awake, and his wonderful purple eyes were staring up at me with fear.

"Oh, bonjour, mon enfant," I said cheerfully. Wait, the poor boy probably won't understand me if I speak in French. "I mean, good morning, little one."

The boy said nothing. He just stared back at me and hugged his bear.

I blinked in confusion. "You know, it's not very polite to not return a 'good morning'," I said in a light scolding tone.

The boy suddenly stiffened, and his eyes widened at me. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Maybe he is a mute?

"It's okay, little one," I assured him. "It's all right. Don't be afraid. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, okay?"

The boy shook a little more before he finally nodded his head.

"There, see? Not so bad. Now, do you want breakfast?" I glanced at the clock to see that it was nine fifteen. Wow, that's the earliest I have been up in a very long time.

The boy gave me no response. He just stared at his bear. Finally, after what seemed like forever the boy nodded and sat up.

I smiled a bit at him. "Maybe we should get you changed first," I mumbled to myself. The only problem was, I had no clothes for him. The social worker just kind of dropped him off with nothing. I stood up and went to the closet to search for something suitable for him to wear. I doubted I had anything for him in the pants department, but I figured I could at least find him a shirt.

After finding a shirt for myself and rummaging around a bit, I found a shirt that was probably left behind by one of my lady 'guests' at one point. I sniffed it. It didn't smell like alcohol or sex, so I deemed it okay. I turned back to the boy and smiled. "Here, you can change into this if you would like," I said.

He looked at the shirt, as if he was trying to decide whether it was safe or not. It's a shirt for goodness sake! What could be scary about a shirt?

"Do you want to change?" I asked a bit impatiently.

The boy opened his mouth, and I thought I was finally going to hear him speak, but he closed it quickly. Instead he nodded.

I sighed, but walked over to him. "Okay, well, take your shirt off. I will get you some pants later today."

Once again, he nodded. He set his bear to the side and started to struggle to get his shirt off. I would have offered assistance, but I figured that he would just flinch away. So I just watched.

When he got his shirt halfway off, I caught sight of his stomach and gasped. His ribs were extremely visible, and there was almost no fat on the boy's abdomen. Aren't children supposed to be chubby? What made him like this? I decided then that I needed to talk to that social worker that dropped him off. I placed the shirt by the boy and searched the ground for the pants I was wearing yesterday. If I remembered right, they should be in the back pocket... Ah ha! I picked up the card and looked back at the boy who was giving me a confused stare.

"I'll be right back. I'm just going to make a phone call," I assured him. I didn't wait to see if he was going to reply. I walked out to my living room, the scent of the rose candles I had lit the night before still lingering in the air. I grabbed my landline and quickly punched in the number written on the card.

"Hello? Roderich Edelstein," came from the other line.

"Ah, monsieur Edelstein, this is Francis Bonnefoy. I have called in regards to my, erm, son," I still struggled over the word.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Bonnefoy. How can I help you?"

"You see, I was helping the boy change this morning, and I couldn't help but notice that he looks underfed. Is this because his mother was sick and could not take care of him?"

Mr. Edelstein was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Not necessarily. You see, when Matthew's–"

That was his name! I needed to remember it.

"–mother was in the hospital, he stayed with his aunt. His aunt didn't really care for him and would starve him and even hit him. That is why I had cared for him after his mother passed. Before she died, she noticed the differences in her son and called the police on her sister. Matthew had no one else other than you, so he stayed with me. Now that he is with you, I am hoping that you will take care of him the right way?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "I may be new to this raising children thing, but I would never raise a hand to a child! Nor would I not feed him! That is just cruelty!"

"I'm glad you feel that way, Mr. Bonnefoy. It assures me that Matthew is indeed in good hands. Now, is there anything else you need?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, since I have you on the line already, would it be possible to get M-Matthieu's birth certificate? That way I can know his birthdate and such?" I mentally slapped myself for stumbling over his name.

"Of course. I can get those to you in the mail by this afternoon."

"Merci. Oh, one final thing. Is Matthieu a mute? He hasn't said a single word while he's been here."

"No, he isn't a mute. I believe that the shock from the death of his mother paired with the way his aunt treated him has caused him to go silent. I am hoping that after being with you after awhile, he will begin to speak again. It's not good for a child his age to not talk. After all, he is in the stage of life where asking questions is good, so he can learn more about the world around him."

"Oui, I agree fully," I said with a nod. "Well, I suppose there is nothing more that I need to ask you about."

"Alright. Have a good day, Mr. Bonnefoy. Good luck with Matthew and have a good day."

"Merci. Au revoir." With that, I hung up the phone and sighed. _Starved and hit? Who would do something like that to such a sweet looking child? _The very thought of someone raising their hand to Matthieu made my blood boil. Perhaps it was because the thought of child abuse is just so sickening to me, or perhaps it was my fatherly instincts kicking in. Who knows? I was just angry.

I ran my hand through my hair before the image of little Matthew's shrunken stomach came back to mind. _The poor dear... _I looked at the kitchen ans smiled. _I will help him. I will make everything better. _With that in mind, I walked into the kitchen, ready to put my five star culinary skills to work.

*.*.*.*

After about twenty minutes, I smiled at my accomplishment. Before me was two plates of pancakes with whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. I even had a bottle of pure maple syrup that I would let the boy put as much on his plate as he wanted. It wasn't much, but it looked great and I knew that it would fill the boy up. I heard somewhere that if you are starving, you will crave sweets, so I made an extra sweet breakfast just for him.

I picked up the two plates and put them on the coffee table. I didn't own a dining table, so I figured that should work for now. After setting up the plates along with a glass of orange juice for Matthieu and a glass of wine for myself, I walked back into my room to get the boy.

"Matthieu," I called lightly. "It's time for breakfast."

Mathieu was laying on the bed, snuggling his bear tightly. He was wearing the shirt I gave him, and his other was held tightly in his right hand. He just stared at me with those wide violet eyes. Suddenly, the thought of someone raising their hand to strike him came to mind. Why would someone do that? Looking at his face, I could not see why someone would want to hit him, or starve him. Why wouldn't someone want to take care of him..?

I shook the thoughts out of my head and smiled again. "I made a delicious breakfast. Won't you come eat, fils?"

Mathieu just looked at me for a moment before he nodded again. He slid off the bed slowly and pattered over to me. He kept a safe distance away, and I did nothing to try and usher him closer. If what Mr. Edelstein said was true, then I shouldn't try to force him to come near me, it would only scare him more.

Matthieu shivered where he stood. Hm. This would not do. I got down on one knee so I was looking at him in the eye.

"Matthieu, I want you to know that Mr. Edelstein told me about what your aunt did to you."

Matthieu flinched, but I kept going.

"I want you to know that I would never treat you like that. Ever. If you ever need anything, do not be afraid to ask me."

As I expected, Matthieu said nothing. He didn't even nod his head. He simply stared back at me with those wide eyes. I sighed and stood up, not looking away from Matthieu.

"And like I said this morning, you don't have to talk to me. But I would like to hear your voice."

Matthieu made no response, and I sighed again. I really wish that the boy would say _something_, but I knew that he has been through a lot. Like the social worker had said, he is probably still in shock. His mother died and his aunt would hurt him, so he probably very confused.

"Breakfast is out here. I would suggest you leave your bear on the bed so you don't get food on him." After that I walked out. I stopped suddenly when I hear a small whisper.

"I'll be right back, Kuma. Stay here."

Ah! So the boy does talk! He has such a lovely voice. I could detect a small accent, but I couldn't place my finger as to what it was, if only I had heard a little more. I smiled a little to myself. I would make it my mission to find out what it was. I would do all I could to make the boy feel comfortable enough to talk around me.

I walked out to the living room and sat down, waiting for Matthieu to come out. When he did, I couldn't help but smile. This was the first time I ever saw him without that bear obscuring most of him from sight. He really was a small boy. His hair fell in long tassels down to a little below his shoulders. The shirt he wore said _Be the Piano!_ and actually didn't look too bad on him. It was big, yes, but not enough to where he was swimming in it. Not having his bear to keep his hands occupied, he twiddled his thumbs, and his gaze was downcast at his feet.

"I made you pancakes, fils," I said. "Come in and sit."

For the first time since the boy came into my care, his head snapped up and I could see excitement in his eyes. Oh? So he likes pancakes? I would have to keep this in mind. He walked over to the coffee table and sat on the pillow I had place across from me.

I pushed his plate forward and handed him a fork. "Bon appetit," I said.

As I expected, I received a small nod. To my surprise, the boy pressed his hands together and bowed his head. It took me a moment before I realized that he was praying. I watched in fascination as he kept his head bowed, his mouth moving as he said silent words, and his eyes firmly closed. I'd never been one to pray before meals, so this was something very new to me.

When he was done, he looked up and smiled at his plate. It was the first time I had seen him smile. It was much better than seeing him frown and look scared all the time. I watched fondly as he dug into his pancakes, completely drenching them in the syrup. That was when I decided that I wanted to see him smile more. I wanted to hear him speak. I wanted him to feel safe and comfortable.

After all, as his father, it is my duty. Is it not?

* * *

**[Note from the Author: Poor Arthur. I can't imagine what it must feel like to tell your kid you're having a divorce :/ Which is why I saved the conversation to be from Alfred's POV. **

**One thing I wanna point out, whenever I'm writing from Francis's POV, 'Matthew' will be spelled like 'Mathieu' whenever he thinks about him or addresses him since it's like the French way and stuff XD So that's just to clear that up.**

**If anyone gets what Matthew's shirt is from, I will love you forever :3**

**I don't think anyone really needs translations? It's all pretty common, but just in case:**

"**Oh, bonjour, mon enfant." - Oh, good morning, child.**

"**Merci." - Thank you.**

"**Oui." - Yes. **

"**Bon appetit." - Enjoy your meal. (Or something along those lines...)**

**If anything is wrong, sorry. I didn't use Google Translate or anything, so this is off the top of my head. Sorry! **

**So, hope you liked. Remember, reviews are like hugs. And I like hugs :D**

**Until Next Time!**

**~Kumori]**


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